Fence-post.



Patented Feb. 6, I900.

on E .K I. E w H H 0 4 .9 2 4 6 0- N F E N G E P 0 S T (Application filed. July 28, 1899.)

(No Model.)

PETERS c0. Puo'mumcn. WASHINGTON n c Nr'rnn STATES PATENT Fries.

HENRY H. WELKER, OF ATTICA, NEW YORK.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,940, dated February 6, 1900.

Application filed July 28, 1899. Serial No. 725,386. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. WELKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Attica, in the county of Wyoming and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefullmprovementsin Fence-Posts,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved fencepost having a main portion, of wood or other material, detachably mounted in a socket in a base or bottom portion adapted to set in the ground, a top cap, and means for rigidly securing the main portion, the socket, and the cap together and also strengthening the post against lateral strain; and the object of the invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and easily-set-up post of the foregoing character, all of which will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a section of fencing having my improved post. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved post looking in the direction of the arrow V, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a trussing-loop. Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the base. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section on or about line a a, Fig. 1, through the top cap and a portion of the main portion. Fig. 6 is a side View of a modified form of the top cap.

In referring to the drawings in detail like numerals designate like parts.

The post is composed of a main portion 1, of wood or other material, of suitable length and contour, a base or bottom portion 2, preferably of metal or other non-decaying material, adapted to be placed in the ground and having an upper hollow portion or socket 3,

in which the lower end of the main portion 1 is mounted, and a top cap 4, preferably formed of metal, fitted upon the upper end of the main portion. The hollow portion or socket 3 is preferably formed separately from the base and is mounted thereon against lateral displacement by forming notches or depressions 4 in the upper edge of the fins or wings 5, in which the socket sides seat. The base portion is formed of the fins or wings 5,which preferably radiate or extend from a center and prevent any twisting of the base when in the earth, and thus strengthenthe foundation, and portions of the bottomof the socket 3 are cut away to provide drainingopenings'fi for the moisture collected therein and also to lighten the construction. Notches 7 are cut in the lower edges near the outer extremes of the two wider wings 5, and the top cap at is provided with outwardly-extending lugs or ears 8. Twisted loops 9, of metallic wire or other suitable material, are arranged with their ends bending over the notches 7 and ears 8. These loops are preferably in the form shown in Fig. 3 and are preferably secured to the fence as follows: One end is placed over a notch and the other is placed upon a suitable instrument, which is then rotated or revolved, twisting or winding the sides upon themselves and shortening the loop in length. When the loop is of the proper length, the free end is slipped upon an ear 8 of the top cap by the windinginstrument. The tendency of newly twisted or wound wire is to unwind, so that it can resume the former straight formation, and as the ends of the loop are nnrotatably fastened to the wings 5 and the top cap, respectively, by being looped over the notches and ears of the same this tendency of the loop is diverted and spends itself in endeavoring to resume its original shape without rotating the ends, thus slightly contracting the loop in length. The loop is preferably twisted until it is slightly shorter than the distance between the top cap and the notched wing of the base, and the end of the winding instrument is placed upon the top surface of the cap as a fulcrum and forced upward, stretching the loops sufficiently to allow its upper end to he slipped over the ear. These twisted loops are preferably arranged transversely to the longitudinal direction of the fence and serve to truss the post firmly against lateral strain or pressure against the sides of the fence, and as the wires 10 of the fencebrace the post against strain or pressure exerted in a direction parallel with the fence the fence-post is strongly and firmly braced against strain or pressure both from a transverse and longitudinal direction relatively to the fence.

The cap and base employed with the post placed adjoining the gate 1O have integrallyformed extensions forming hinge-pins 11, and the gate 10 is provided with extensions 12,

I before described.

having openings through which the pins ex tend to hinge the gate to the post. A supplementary looped strengthening portion or truss-wire 13 is preferably employed in connection with the gate-post to prevent the weight of the gate from tipping the top cap forward. (See Fig. 1.)

For a corner-post it may prove advisable to provide the post with more than two looped strengthening portions.

The top cap when employed in connection with a fence having a top plate or board has one of its sides cut away, as shown in Fig. 6, to allow the end of the board 15 to be placed upon the top of the main portion of the post beneath the cap and held rigidly in said position by the fastening of the cap thereon, as With this style of cap the upper end of the supplementary truss-wire 13 would be extended through an opening in the plate or board and attached to a lug or ear l4, projecting from the top of the cap. (See Fig. 6.)

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts in the details of construction of the device herein shown and described as the preferred embodiment of my invention may be made by a skilled mechanic without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications and alterations as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. A fence-post composed of a main portion of wood, a metal base composed of wings having bottom notches and top depressions, a

socket device detachably mounted in said top ing cut away to allow of the interposition of a top plate or board, a metal base having a socket forthe lower end of the main portion, wings provided with notches and an extension forming a hinge-pin, twisted-wire loops placed over the ears and notches to rigidly secure the three parts of the post together and a gate hung upon the hinge-pins, as set forth.

3. A fence comprising a post composed of a main portion of wood, a metal base com posed of wings having an integrally-formed hingepin, bottom notches and top depressions, a socket device detachablymounted in said top depressionsin which the lower end of the main portion seats, a metal cap having an integrally-formed hinge-pin, lateral-extending ears and a depression in which the upper end of the post extends, and twisted-wire loops supported on the notches and ears to secure the portions of the post firmly together, and a gate hung on said hinge-pins, as set forth.

HEN RY I-I. WELKER.

l/Vitnesses:

HENRY P. GARDNER, O. H. HOPKINS. 

